Treaty of Nanjing to Boxer Rebellion

Treaty of Nanjing

• Opened 5 ports for Europe trade
• Gave the British extraterritoriality
• China surrendered Hong Kong to the British
  • The British obtained a 99-year lease, ending in 1998

Impact of Treaties on the Qing Dynasty

• The Qing Dynasty was weak, leading to more trade treaties with Western countries
  • Including Germany, France, and Russia
• These were the "unequal treaties"
• Countries gained exclusive trading rights in certain Chinese port cities
  • Each country's area became a sphere of influence
  • Including France, Britain, Germany, Japan, and Russia

U.S. Involvement in China (1899)

• The U.S. was frustrated by European domination of Chinese trade
• The U.S. proposed the Open Door Policy for free trade in all Chinese ports
• Most countries agreed to the policy

Boxer Rebellion

• Nationalist movement in China against the West
• The "Boxers" were the most important group
  • They combined martial arts, lack of fear of weapons, hatred of foreigners, and nationalism
• 1899: The Boxer Rebellion involved the killing of Chinese Christians and holding foreigners hostage in Beijing for 55 days

Results of the Boxer Rebellion

• 20,000 foreign troops from 8 countries captured Beijing, stopping the rebellion
• Europeans punished China with a $330 million fine
• The Qing Dynasty was humiliated and on the verge of collapsing

1911 Revolution

• Some Chinese "radicals" wanted a republic

Sun Yat-Sen

• Sun Yat-Sen was a pro-republic leader
• He inspired revolutionary ideals in young Chinese
  • This caused rebellion to spread

Chinese Republic

• The Qing emperor abdicated the throne in 1912
• This ended thousands of years of dynastic rule in China
• "The Republic of China" was established
• Sun Yat-Sen became president

European Imperialism in Africa

• British abolished the slave trade in 1807, followed by the U.S. in 1808
• British spent most of the early to mid-1800s trying to stop the slave trade
• Africa was mostly untouched except for European trading posts along the coast
• Competition for European colonies began in the 1880s
• The continent remained colonized until the 1950s-1960s

Reasons for European Interest in Africa

• Natural Resources
  • Rubber
  • Gold
  • Diamonds
  • Oil
• Political Competition
• Racism
  • Social Darwinism which claimed certain races were more fit to survive
  • Ruling Africa was considered OK to "civilize" the "savages"
  • Africa's nickname was "Dark Continent" because it needed to be enlightened
  • "White Man's Burden"

Reasons for Easy Domination of Africa

• Advanced Technology
  • Before the 1880s, Europeans had to remain on the coast
    • Due to Malaria, Yellow fever, the Sahara Desert and the Rainforests
• Vulnerability of African societies due to the slave trade

Technological Advancements

• Railroads and steamships
• Discovery of medicine to treat malaria
• Automatic machine guns and tanks

"Scramble for Africa"

• Exploration led to the discovery of natural resources, causing competition for colonies
• The Berlin Conference (1885) was held to stop the chaos and prevent wars
  • European leaders met to divide Africa between the European powers
  • The principle was "First come, first serve"

African Resistance

• African peoples fought valiantly and did not give up
• The Zulu revolt fought against the British for 6 months

Colonization Patterns

• France and Great Britain colonized Africa the most
• Liberia was left alone because Europeans already saw it as civilized
• British presence was along the coast, while France dominated more in the middle
• Europeans ignored tribal boundaries when taking over the continent and they created their own boundaries disregarding tribal barriers

Negative Effects of Colonization in Africa

• New European borders grouped rival tribes into the same colony
  • This led to fights between ethnic groups in Africa, which still continues today
• Industrialization was held back
• Railroads and paved roads were built
  • However there was suppression of African cultures
    • Colonial languages and religions were imposed

Independent African Countries

• Ethiopia maintained independence until 1936 when Italians tried to colonize
• Liberia was formed by African-Americans (former slaves) who returned to Africa

British Imperialism in India

• The British East India Company (EIC) carried out British imperialism in India
  • It was founded in the 1600s
  • They set up trading posts
  • The EIC was given a monopoly over trade with India

Reasons for the Company's Takeover

• The Mughal Empire was breaking apart in the 1700s
• Technological advancements
• Rulers of small Indian kingdoms were manipulated

Changes in India by the EIC

• The EIC had their own army and flag
• English language was used in schools
• Christian missionaries were introduced
• Certain Hindu customs were banned
  • Including Sati

Sepoy Mutiny (1857) / Sepoy Rebellion

• Sepoys were Indian soldiers who fought for the British army
• Soldiers had to bite off cartridge (packaging) before inserting bullets into rifles
  • There were rumors that bullets were greased with pork and beef fat
  • This offended Hindu (cow = no beef) and Muslim (no pork) soldiers
• This resulted in suspicion against the British
• Sepoys in Northern India refused to use the rifles
• Rebellion spread against British officers
• Sepoys killed officers and families
  • British responded by burning villages and murdering sepoys
    • This led to the Sepoy surrender in 1858
• This was seen as the first "war of independence" in India

Result of the Sepoy Mutiny/Rebellion

• British government took over

The Raj

• The era of British rule in India was called "The Raj" (1858-1947)
• British officials lived in separate neighborhoods
• The White Man's Burden was applied
  • Railroads, roads, canals, and literacy were built
    • But it was at what expense for the Indians?
• India was the most profitable British colony
  • Huge source of raw materials; tea, silk, indigo, opium, cotton
  • Large population of India -> $$$
  • "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire
• Indians were being stripped of their natural resources, culture, and life

Social Class in India

• British officers had Indian servants
• The Caste system persisted

Rise of Indian Nationalism

• The Indian National Congress (Mostly Hindu Indians) was formed in the 1880s
  • They asked for more representation in the British government
• Swadeshi (boycotts) of British cloth & textiles
• The Muslim League was formed in 1906 for the protection of interests of Muslim Indians
• Both organizations became huge players in movement for Indian Independence